Hard workerIn reply to Howard H. Green's letter (Forum...

the Forum

October 26, 1990

Hard worker

In reply to Howard H. Green's letter (Forum, Oct. 10):

If Mr. Green would have taken the time to get his facts straight, he would have known I was not hired on as a superintendent. I started on the bottom rung of the proverbial ladder, worked very hard, put in many hours without pay and worked out of title without receiving the correct pay scale. Incidentally, this scale was considerably higher than the meager wage I was collecting.

Furthermore, I resent being labeled a "one-legged mobster" or any other pseudo-descriptive derogatory name you may dream up to feed your inflated ego.

Dominic J. Carozza

Baltimore

Tax cap would cripple county school system

As a homeowner in Baltimore County, I can certainly sympathize with those who are concerned about rising property taxes. The 2 percent cap on spending sounds like an idea which would have universal appeal; however, I believe that it will create many more problems than it will solve. As an educator, I would like to address the results I believe the passage of this referendum will have on an excellent school system.

With the inflation rate being more than double the proposed budget cap ` if all other factors were to remain the same ` it is obvious that the Baltimore County public schools will not be able to maintain the status quo; they will be forced to move backward in spite of the system's best efforts.

To make matters worse, consideration of this referendum comes at a time when most of the 149 schools in our system are 20 to 30 years old; as homeowners know, repair and maintenance costs increase with age. In addition, the school system expects an increase of 4,000 students next year; without sufficient funds to hire additional teachers, class size will certainly increase. Furthermore, many teachers and administrators are at or near the age of retirement. While people do not enter the teaching profession with the belief that they will become rich, people will not continue in the profession when their earning power decreases year after year as salary increases fail to keep up with the inflation rate. Our system will lose much knowledge and experience, and we will not be able to attract the brightest and the best of new teachers because our salary schedule will not be competitive.

While these facts are of particular concern to those who have children in our school system, they should be carefully considered by all homeowners. A strong public school system is essential to the economy and the future of our country!

The small savings realized by the passage of the 2 percent cap in no way justifies the disastrous effects on our school system or the negative effect on the quality of life in our county. I urge all voters to reject this unrealistic cap by voting no on Question T.

Joseph T. Watkins

T The writer is principal of Rodgers Forge Elementary School.

True believers

What message has the United Nations given the world in condemning Israel for using "excessive force" against the would-be murderers who attacked Jewish worshipers at a holy shrine?

It has given Israel's enemies ` and, yes, the world at large ` the perception that in the name of a cause one can commit no wrong.

The U.N. decision will unleash a tidal wave of "righteous indignation" on the part of "true believers" all around the world ` who will continue to fight to the death for what their passions dictate is a "justifiable cause."

Ellie Fier

Baltimore

Israel's policies

"The hypocrisy of the U.N. is not unusual" says Rabbi Marc Angel, president of the Rabbinical Council of America, of the United Nations' (and United States') lukewarm condemnation of Israel's latest use of force.

But the hypocrisy of American Jewish leaders is what is not unusual. Here is a case in which 28 Jewish worshipers were wounded, ("not seriously" according to The Sun), compared to 21 Palestinians killed and over 140 wounded, including the highest Moslem cleric in Jerusalem.

Over the last three years, nearly 1,000 Palestinian children have been slain by Israeli forces. Do we hear the voice of outrage by Jewish leaders over these? No! Instead, we hear from people like William Safire, who say how Israel has learned to use "minimum force" to oppress the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank. "Minimum force," my eye, Bill ` they've simply learned to keep it off television! Picture what we would have seen and heard if 21 Jews had been killed by Palestinians in Israel.

On the cause of the violence, the supposed laying of the cornerstone for the new temple and the removal of Arab mosques in the area, Christians already know that the Israeli government secretly helped and financed the recent intrusion into the Christian quarter of Jerusalem and will do the same to Moslem holy places.

Jewish leaders now criticize (and maybe rightly so) President Bush and the United Nations for condemning Israel. But Bush, the United Nations and I shouldn't have to be the ones who protest the hard-handed policies of Israel. American Jews and Jews around the world should be. They are not.